Active cybercriminals, operating from foreign locations, are carrying out relentless attacks against the government and anti-state elements with complete impunity. For an extended period, they have been blackmailing politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats, and both government and non-government employees, using technology as their tool.
Many individuals, driven by concerns for their safety and reputation, find themselves forced to meet the demands of these cybercriminals, who extort large sums of money while using illegal means to funnel the funds into their pockets.
Interestingly, within their own ranks, these cybercriminals are embroiled in internal disputes. Through various social media platforms, some of them even publicly broadcast unlawful activities, with each trying to outdo the other.
Various institutions, including RAB and the police, have compiled a list of about 60 such cyber criminals. The top 27 individuals on this list have been identified and marked for their particular offenses by several agencies.
"In the meantime, the central office of the police, the NCB branch, has informed Interpol about the crimes of these three individuals. However, due to the inability to rein in the cybercriminals, many victims have expressed frustration.
Monzur Rahman, assistant inspector general (media) at the PHQ, stated that the Cyber Units of the police are actively working on cases involving individuals spreading anti-state or anti-national propaganda. No one is exempt from scrutiny. Several cases have already been filed against cybercriminals in various police stations across the country, following the appropriate legal procedures. Similar arrangements are also being made concerning cyber-criminals residing abroad."
According to the investigation, cyber terrorists initially target wealthy or influential individuals. Through members of their syndicate within the country, they gather information about any issues or problems faced by the target person or any member of their family. They use this information to create an advertisement targeting the individual, which they post on their page. They announce that an "investigative report" is coming up on this person and request their followers to keep an eye on their page. However, the promised report never sees the light of day. But if they fail to reach an agreement with the target person, cyber-attacks are launched against them. The cybercriminals fabricate one imaginary report after another, targeting the same person consecutively, and then publish them on their page.
Tito Rahman and Nazmus Sakib, have recently ventured into extortion businesses through YouTube channels, targeting civilians. These individuals have no legitimate professions and operate from the United States and Canada.
They establish a channel on platforms like Facebook and YouTube to regularly blackmail their targets. They post advertisements on their pages, claiming that they have received an "investigative report" on the targeted individuals. Then, they request their followers to keep an eye on the targets, promising a reward.
One notable cyber-terrorist is Pannaki Vattacharja, a doctor who sought political asylum in France. He continuously criticized Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangabandhu family, established entrepreneurs, and various social groups, spreading false and malicious statements on his YouTube channel, targeting religious sentiments. Over the past year, he has been presenting some absurd arguments to discourage expatriate Bangladeshis from sending remittances, committing offenses akin to treason.
The infamous Tareq Rahman, BNP's disgraced chairman, has not remained untouched by these incidents. Recently, a photo image of him with cyber terrorists has gone viral. Many speculate that he might be involved in offering support or assistance to these criminals. Such actions are perceived as a serious violation of the law.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar commented on cybercriminal activities, stating that the issue falls within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Law, and Foreign Affairs. When he assumed office in 2015, they had no direct communication with Facebook. However, now regular communication with both Facebook and YouTube authorities has become possible. They have even appointed a Bengali employee to facilitate communication with them.
"28th April, 10:57: One of the prominent established groups in the country, Kazi Farms, has been targeted with a status by a Facebook page or YouTube channel named 'Nagorik TV,' allegedly against its owner, Kazi Jahedul. However, so far, no such report can be found regarding this matter, and the alleged Nagorik TV page has not been seen engaging in any respectful conduct.
7th April, 11:42: Nagorik TV posts a status about NRB Bank's shareholder and Chairman, Mahbubur Rahman Nasir, along with a special poster featuring Shibli Rubaiyat, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission. It was rumored that they were planning to publish an investigative report on this matter. They had previously stated that the report would be released on Nagorik TV's YouTube channel and Facebook page. However, no such report has been published yet.
6th April: A status is posted on a purported page named 'Nagorik TV' regarding a senior employee of Jamuna Bank named Nipu. The post alleges that the employee stole half a million taka by misusing a City Bank credit card. Despite the status, there were no reports published on this matter.
On 5th February: Nagorik TV posts a status about the owner of Exim Bank, Nazrul Islam Majumdar, and his family. They had advised viewers to keep an eye on Nagorik TV to know more details. There was another status on 24th January about the same issue, but no report was made concerning anyone.
A cybercrime officer from Dhaka Metropolitan Police states that cybercriminals often contract with their adversaries to disseminate false information about individuals, followed by uploading the information to their own pages. Subsequently, they spend money to make it go viral.
In many cases, after releasing an episode, beneficiaries are compelled to pay a kind of ransom to cyber terrorists to protect their self-esteem. They provide money to maintain silence. However, these vultures are relentlessly lurking, waiting to exploit the greed of vulnerable individuals. Hence, it can be observed that they are continuously blackmailing the victims of cybercrime.
In response to a question, the officer said that the top few cybercriminals from various countries have been contacted via Interpol by the central office of the police. However, for this matter, only the police may not be sufficient; the involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also necessary. Only then can they bring them back to the country to face legal consequences. He encourages everyone to look into the matter to verify the authenticity of the claims. These were his remarks."
@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on July 24 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan.
